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Giants confident Sandoval will drop weight

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Concerns about third baseman Pablo Sandoval's weight have become a rite of spring.

Sandoval's waistline is again an issue. "I don't think that question will go away, to be quite honest," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday.

Bochy acknowledged that the 2012 World Series Most Valuable Player would be well-advised to drop some pounds.

"It's fair to say he has to shed a few," Bochy said of Sandoval, who's listed at 262 on the Giants' spring roster. "But he will. We have some time."

Sandoval indicated that he can function at his current weight. "I feel in shape," he said. "Who cares what other people say? I'm here to do my job."

Second baseman Marco Scutaro supported Sandoval. "If he's not in baseball shape, who is? He just finished playing a week ago," Scutaro said, referring to Sandoval's extensive activity in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Bochy acknowledged that Sandoval's bout with colitis last month "kind of hindered him with his conditioning," though it hasn't kept him off the field.